The Calm Before
by wrendering
Summary: An ancient beast escapes, and a hidden world reluctantly reveals itself after hundreds of years of secrecy in order to prevent its terror spreading. An amalgamation of elements of different DC Universes, with a healthy dose of Filipino mythology.
1. The Breakout

She felt that insistent pull again deep in her stomach again, the one that told her that she was needed _there._ It was probably just a few people with more recklessness than common sense, with a superhuman degree of bullheadedness that was enough to overcome even the protection maintained by her brother. Even though it was annoying that most of them were smart enough to break in during the dead of night or the crack of dawn, the alternative was worse.

Sighing as she secured her mask and her dagger, she wondered if they could learn a thing or two from the all mighty Justice League, seeing as they had seemed to have gotten the knack of making heroics a 9-to-5 job. If she could, she'd definitely stay off graveyard shifts.

"Time to go," she said to no one in particular, "I wonder who the unlucky idiots are this time." And with that, a gale blew through the thick forest, towards a clearing that was unimportant in almost every way. Almost.

* * *

"Magic." This was the only word that had left Batman in the past ten minutes. The silence that had preceded it was almost oppressive after the noisy battle, one which had abruptly ended after the whatever-it-was that just took off, leaving behind a swathe of _something_ that had been cut off in the fight.

It was this sample that Batman had been examining since, and had made his judgment on. Both of his protégés were glad; though dedicated teammates, the quiet had begun to chafe. The cave was deep enough underground that the silence was almost absolute; even the sound of the heavy rain outside was nonexistent.

"So, which batarang can we use against it?" As always, Batgirl remained unimpressed with Batman's gruffness. Perhaps it was the way he had to treat everything with the same stoicism. At least Nightwing always had a quip at the ready. And as expected, he chose not to respond, instead examining the curious material again.

"Maybe we should get Zatanna in, she'll at least be able to figure out where it's from." Barbara gave a small smile at Tim's suggestion. Of all the Robins, he'd always been the one who was the most willing to ask for help. It was a useful trait, she reflected, and one that was definitely not appreciated enough. Not in this city at least.

"Off-world."

"Doctor Fate?"

"Off-world."

"Etrigan?"

"Visiting Hell." At that, Robin snorted. He found it hard to imagine anyone wanting to do that. Jason Blood probably just wanted some time off.

"Is this your way of saying we're not going to bring anyone in?"

"Yes."

"Figures." Leaning back, Batgirl fiddled with her commlink, searching for a case. If Batman insisted on continuing the investigation by himself, then so be it. But she wasn't about to wait around until that… _thing_ reappeared. If she could take down some D-list bank robbers in the meantime, then so be it. The night was still young after all; they had barely made it out of the cave before intercepting the creature, and still had to start their patrol.

"Officer Montoya to dispatch, we have a 10-31 on Arthur Avenue, over." Without a word, Batman nodded, and with that the two heroes jumped into action.

* * *

Silence. That's what had awaited her at the clearing. She was too late. The remains of the poor souls who had gotten in _its_ way were smeared along the rich soil, a sight that made her stomach turn. The bloodthirst that the creature had nursed for decades must have clearly gone into a frenzy, taking anything it came across in the night and leaving a bloody trail in its wake.

 _Three._ She had come across three bodies in the same space. One had been only a few years younger than her. Jumping into the air, she tore her eyes away from their corpses.

"Fuck. _Fuck_ ," she whispered, hovering higher, trying to understand the scope of the destruction. Her hope that the disturbance had just been foolhardy travelers with a penchant for ghost stories that had gotten disturbingly close to the truth had vanished when she had come across their bodies, mere meters from the clearing.

 _Seven._ There was another group of bodies, meters away. She couldn't see whether children numbered among them, and was glad for it. Tears threatened to blur her vision.

 _You can't cry,_ she told herself, _you can mourn after. Crying doesn't help now._

 _Nine._ The next two were a couple, their wedding bands glistening in the moonlight. Landing next to them, she could see that they had been snatched in their sleep. She could only hope that their ends were swift; the creature had only precious minutes to make its escape before her arrival. Swallowing her revulsion, she touched the heavy gold chain around her neck.

"It's Anitun," she said, voice thick with fear, "We need to meet at Mount Cristobal. Now. One's escaped."

While she waited, she flew higher, fighting the urge to scream.

* * *

Dumakulem was the first one to arrive, emerging through the trees only moments after the summons. Though she barely afforded him a second glance as she landed, Anitun was relieved to no longer be alone. The grief had been threatening to overwhelm her, even in that short time.

"I-I don't understand," he muttered, "No one's ever even gotten past the river. How..."

He had felt somewhat uneasy that night, and his heart had sunk on hearing his sister's message.

"I don't know," She was stood in the middle of the clearing, staring at the cracked earth. "It must've clawed its way out."

"How bad?"

"You must've seen them as you came in...it's really bad. Nine, and those are the ones I've been able to see from above. They all looked like campers, and they must've been caught just as it was fleeing."

For the first time since she started speaking, Anitun properly looked at him. He, who at the tender age of 21 had been given the monumental task of keeping many of their country's ancient evils at bay, had begun to feel the real weight of his mission. Her heart reached out to him.

"It's not your fault." Even as she said it, she knew how hollow the words sounded to him.

"No, keeping them trapped was only my responsibility." Anger made him sarcastic, and if she could see his face she would have seen how anger marred the usually cheerful features. "I couldn't even do that. Now people have died, and it's my fault. Don't try to sugarcoat it like it isn't."

Before she could reply to him, comfort him, the others began to arrive. Individuals of all walks of life, a group to whom an outsider couldn't fathom had a common connection, collected in the clearing; the only visual clue linking all were the various masks, shining gold in the moonlight. There were murmurs of horror and of surprise which disturbed the still night air.

"It's not the place to waste time by talking." The calm, measure voice belonged to a dignified man of middle-age. Even in stillness he radiated great power; Anitun knew firsthand how terrible that power was when unleashed. The rest of them knew likewise, and the chatter quietened.

"We need to find it, and fast. Anitun, find Anagolay. She will be able to track the creature for you, and you are to pursue it. Inform us when you have subdued it."

"Let me go as well," Dumakulem begged as she prepared to set off, "I was the one meant to maintain the seal, I should be the one bringing it back."

Apolaki regarded the youth with a mixture of understanding and pity. "You're needed elsewhere. The other sites may be compromised – you'll have to look over them all to make sure the threat is contained." Chastened, Dumakulem simply looked down. Touching his arm in a bid to comfort him, Anitun whispered, "You'll be one of the first to know, don't worry. Be safe."

"I should say the same for you," he replied. "You should go now, we can't waste much time."

As Apolaki continued to give instructions to the rest of the group, Anitun leapt into the wind once more.

* * *

It was at a nondescript house that she stopped at, one of the fringes of a quiet barangay. Despite the circumstances, she found herself glad that she was the one who was to contact Anagolay. Was it weeks or months since her last visit? Of late, Anitun had found herself missing her motherly presence.

"Hello?," she called softly. Knocking on the door, she found that it swung open. Dread began to seep back in.

"Is that you, Anitun?" Soft and warm, as her voice had always been. "Come inside, I've been expecting you."

Walking in, Anitun was relieved to see her old mentor healthy and whole, sitting comfortable in her armchair. But though Anagolay smiled at her, her face was troubled. _Of course she knows,_ Anitun thought, _Apolaki would have told her already._

"Sit, dear. I know why you're here, of course." Obediently, she sat cross-legged on the floor, like she did when she was a child. Briefly, she was reminded of happier times, before remembering the current danger. "I've been searching since I received your summons."

"So long?" Anitun couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice. It usually took seconds for Anagolay to locate anything; it had been far longer since the alarm was raised.

"You see, I think its fled beyond our borders. It's been years, decades even, since it last had…sustenance," she explained, flinching slightly at the last word, "And probably intends to regain strength as long as it can, avoiding the day. Its been incredibly fast, and had already finished crossing the Atlantic, even before we spoke." It was only then that Anitun noticed the slight shaking in the older woman's hands. The power it took to expand her sight to cross oceans for that long must've been great, and the effort showed. Perhaps she had also been forced to watch the monster feed, a thought that made Anitun's jaw clench.

"Ate, do you know where it's landed?" As she spoke, she gently took Anagolay's hands into her own. Anagolay frowned slightly, focusing her sight on something Anitun couldn't see.

"Not exactly. But I can send you roughly to its location, give or take a mile." That was better than what she was expecting, given the circumstances and the distance. A soft glow seemed to emanate from her. Closing her eyes, Anagolay turned to her, and placed a hand on her head.

"Take a deep breath."


	2. A Run-in

Anitun Tabu: wind and rain goddess - can cause anything from sunny showers to storms

Dumakulem: mountain god, often depicted as a hunter

Apolaki: sun god, co-ruler with his sister Mayari, goddess of the moon

Anagolay: goddess of lost things, and people

* * *

As she opened her eyes to find herself in an unfamiliar city, Anitun felt a twinge of guilt. The effort it cost to send her that far in one jump must've caused Anagolay some pain. But the task was too urgent for gentleness, as she had been reminded by the older woman. The escape of the creature had to be dealt with and whoever was responsible – _if_ there was anyone responsible, she thought – had to be found out.

Before she could take another step, however, she heard a gun click.

* * *

"That was way too easy," Robin said incredulously after the brief pitched battle. Both he and Batgirl watched as the police arrested the four unlucky thieves. He had to admit, he was a little disappointed. All that time spent incorporating a new style in his training, and all he had to do was whack them into each other with his bo staff. "Guess patrol is just slow tonight."

"You mean apart from the monstrous human-shaped thing that we fought less than an hour ago?"

"Well…yeah. But it's not like we've gotten any further on that issue."

Batgirl sighed and stood up. "I wonder if Batman's gotten anything new."

"I'm sure staring at that piece of skin will help him reach a eureka moment."

"You say that like it wouldn't happen." The silence that met her statement was taken as an agreement. The two of them had too much faith in Bruce to doubt a breakthrough, however small. After a moment, Robin got up as well.

"It's my turn to take downtown, so I better get on it. I'll call you if there's any trouble." Batgirl gave a noncommittal agreeing noise that was Robin's cue to grapple away.

Not five minutes later, he narrowly avoided being hit by a man who, by the looks of it, had been flung bodily from an alleyway. Recovering with ease, he whipped around and aimed a batarang at the likely perpetrator, only to find himself, for the second time that evening, confused.

"I'm not a bad guy," the slight girl in civilian clothing blurted out, holding her hands above her head, "He was trying to mug me."

"You've got to understand that I can't just take that statement at face value." To be honest, she didn't seem to be a threat. But then again, to the rest of the world Bruce Wayne was a dim billionaire playboy. Appearances were nothing in this world. Besides, despite the ordinary clothing, this girl was wearing a gold mask that obscured most of her face. That alone would have made her suspicious.

She made a noise of frustration. "So what am I supposed to do? Look, I came here to look for something, and it'll probably be in your best interest if you helped."

"What are you looking for?"

"A…monster. It's come from my home and I'm here to capture it," she said in a completely even voice. Robin felt, rather than knew, that she was deadly serious.

"What do you know about this monster?" It had occurred to him that perhaps this stranger held the key to their mysterious attacker from that night.

"Would you believe me if I told you?" She sounded skeptical, obviously not knowing that he had dealt with enemies more bizarre, though often more human. Robin just shrugged with a face that said, 'try me'.

"It's called an _aswang_. Body that seems human, splits itself in half, large bat wings, drains the blood of their victims through their tongues," she said, a little breathless. He could detect the fear in her voice. "It looks like a corpse and stinks of death."

Finally, he lowered the batarang. The description had almost exactly matched the thing that had attacked them that night; it seemed that they were looking for the same thing after all.

"Look, my gut says to believe you, and my instincts tend to be right," he said, "but I've got to call this one in." Making sure to keep his eyes on her, he activated his commlink.

"Robin to Batgirl. Time to regroup, I've got someone here who says they've got info."

She looked relieved, but then tilted her head to the side. "What are you going to do about the mugger?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the man – who had been frozen for their entire exchange – scramble to pick up his gun and flee. Unluckily for him, Robin's aim was too good.

When Batgirl arrived a minute later, he was trussed up onto a lamppost, swearing until his face turned blue. Rolling her eyes, she turned her gaze to the pair of them.

"Let's get out of this rain and find a nice rooftop to exchange notes."

* * *

Though she welcomed an outlet for her building stress, Anitun found herself regretting her choice of action. She could have just flown away, outpacing the would-be mugger's reflexes – in his panic as she fought back, he'd only been able to graze her arm. Instead, she had ended up wasting valuable time. The conversation with Robin lasted only a couple of minutes, but she could feel each second weighing on her. And now, standing on a roof overlooking the city, the seconds felt heavier still. At least the weather comforted and replenished her; she always felt most powerful in the midst of these storms.

"But why Gotham?" Batgirl asked, after the necessary introductions were made and Anitun had brought them both up to speed. "Why go halfway across the world when there are humans readily available on a land you know well?"

"My mentor said that it was most likely to feed. This one has been starved for years. Crossing time-zones means it can avoid the daylight and gain its strength."

"Did your mentor say anything else?"

"No, that was the only reason she came up with," she said, feeling sheepish. Both of her companions fell silent, clearly trying to make sense of the situation. Anitun, in turn, stared out into the city. Something felt off – the plan was to chase the creature, who was all but guaranteed to leave a trail of destruction in its wake, even in the brief time it had been there. Even in the largest cities, there would be signs left behind so vicious a killer. But not so in Gotham.

Robin verbalized the idea that had just begun to form in her mind. "You said it feeds at night. But we keep a close watch over the city and nothing of the type of destruction you've described has happened. Maybe it didn't come to Gotham to feed. Maybe it came to look for something."

"Maybe," Anitun said quietly, "Maybe they're looking for someone." At that, the others looked at her in concern. "There's a chance – I don't know how big, but it's still a chance – that someone wanted it to get out. They could be looking for that person."

Previously she had supposed that the escape was due to brute strength; it was, after all, extremely powerful, and the urgency of catching up to it before it caused more deaths had superseded all other thoughts. But now, the idea that someone had slipped the lock…it would explain the fail safes had stopped or been delayed. They should have been alerted the minute someone even considered approaching that clearing. Though she was relieved that they had a grace period where the creature seemed to refrain from hunting, she knew it was brief. If there was truly a mastermind behind its escape, there were more dangerous events on the horizon.

As if responding to an invisible cue, Batgirl pulled out a tablet. "I'm going to have to get more information. I need you to tell me everything you know about this _aswang_."

* * *

After Batgirl had gotten as much information as she could, she left the two of them. Neither she nor Robin mentioned where she was headed, but Anitun was reassured nonetheless.

Robin turned to her. "We're going to try and track down this _aswang_ of yours. What's the best way to follow its trail?"

Grimacing, she said, "Bodies, usually. But when they're sated enough, we always end up becoming targets anyway. They can't control it."

He was clever enough to read between her words and understand that it had already fed; she was grateful that his tact meant he didn't press her for details on this. Ignoring the images of the victims was the only way she was still functioning tonight.

"We?" He was also sharp enough to know that the word wasn't meant to include him.

She wasn't sure how much he would be able to deduct from any reply she gave him, so chose to stay silent. He was part of the famed Batman's team after all – if even half the rumors and stories were true, he would know a thing or two about keeping his cards close to his chest.

To his credit, Robin only let out a small sigh.

"So it's like that then," he said with a forced lightness. "Still, we can't just wait around. Maybe if we –"

Those words seemed prophetic, as they both immediately heard an unearthly screech.

* * *

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	3. A Discovery

Lovingh3art: Thank you so much! I've always wanted to see other mythologies incorporated into the canon (though I know there's actually a very minor character called Anitun in Marvel, but it's a different take to mine and mythology is public domain anyway), and hopefully I can do it justice.

* * *

As it always did, a thrill went through Anitun at the prospect of a fight. Launching herself off the side of the building, she cast aside all her worries and focused on the danger in front of her. The storm surged around her as she pulled out her dagger, determined to inflict as much pain as she could on the creature before she dragged it home.

Using the winds to her advantage, she ducked and dodged until she maneuvered out of its reach. It dared not to use its prehensile tongue while she held her weapon, knowing she would seize the opportunity to cut it out of its mouth. Finally, it let loose that unearthly scream once again and detached itself from its lower body, gaining a burst of speed.

 _Now I can hit its weak spots._

In the back of her mind, a voice cautioned her to exercise caution. The storm had increased tenfold, no doubt due to her loosening grip on her temper. If she wasn't careful, she could very well end up causing more destruction than the _aswang._ Anitun turned sharply, intending to trap the lower half before it realized its mistake.

A flash of movement caught the corner of her eye. _He's quick on the uptake,_ she noticed, as she saw that Robin had managed to tie up its lower half while she had kept it distracted. Ordinarily, they would have used salt or another substance – but he seemed to have taken a brute force approach, tagging it with a small device before clearing out.

The resulting explosion caused the creature to writhe in pain, and Anitun pounced. Reaching into its mouth, she grabbed its vile tongue and propelled herself backwards, slicing down with her dagger as she did so. Its final shriek was horrible, stifled by the blood pooling in its mouth while it clutched its throat. The creature's dying throes were equal parts pathetic and frightening, the sound of its strangled gurgling going through the heroes' bones. But there was no relief in its defeat.

 _Wait, this is wrong._

It had disintegrated as it fell, melting into the rain. This wasn't the _aswang_ she was looking for. But how had this one materialized in Gotham, so far away from the legends that had birthed its kind? Dazed, she landed on the rooftop.

"Are you okay?," he asked, concerned.

She knew how she must have looked to him, drenched with blood.

"Don't worry, it's not mine." As his gaze shifted to her right hand, she realized she was still holding the disembodied, serpentine tongue.

"Eurgh," she said, dropping it on the floor. She wasn't even sure how it was still moving when the rest of the body had become dust, but she wasn't about to look any closer to find out why.

"That wasn't the one, was it?" he asked, ignoring the tongue wriggling on the floor. "There was another one."

"How did you know?"

"It was the wrong color. The one that attacked us earlier, it was grey." For the second time, she was impressed by his attention to detail.

"You're right, it's not the one I was looking for. The one I'm hunting down wouldn't have disintegrated like that. We wouldn't have been able to kill it." Peering over the edge of the building, she couldn't see any sign of the body.

"So, what? That was a garden variety _aswang_?" he asked, somewhat jokingly.

"You could say that, yeah." At another time, she would have laughed at his joke. Before either could continue, Robin tilted his head and listened intently, pressing his finger to his ear.

"Understood. Robin out."

He turned to her, looking slightly uncertain. Anitun prided herself on being quick to understand and anticipate, but his face was so impressively deadpan that she couldn't fathom what he had just heard.

"How do you like blindfolds?," he asked, giving her a sheepish look.

"Come again?"

"We need you on the case, but Batman's, uh, pretty private." Realizing what he meant, Anitun tried to hide the insult she felt. She was helping them with a problem in their city, and she had to be treated like an enemy spy. To his credit, Robin pretended not to notice her struggle to maintain a neutral tone.

"I guess, if he thinks it's necessary."

Slightly too late, she remembered that they were helping her too, so she quickly added, "I know everyone needs to be careful."

"He wouldn't have asked if it wasn't," he replied, pulling out a blindfold from his utility belt. "I've already summoned my motorcycle, so you just have to put this under your mask. Don't worry, I won't look. Hero's honor."

It was only a moment to make sure the mask was secure, then Robin shifted next to her.

"Am I okay to carry you? It's a long way down to the street." As polite and noncommittal as he sounded, Anitun couldn't help but feel awkward; to be blindfolded and carried, however brief, was too much for her sense of pride.

"I can fly, you know. I'll just…float down." He made a noise of agreement, probably similarly relieved. As she stepped off the side of the building, Anitun reveled in the feeling of the air whipping around her, before she came to a halt a few feet off the ground.

"Get on the back, I'll help."

Though she knew Robin would have had to rappel down, she was startled to hear his voice next to her without warning – the stories of the 'Batfamily' that reached her had always made a point of how they seemed to show up out of nowhere, but the silence with which he moved she wouldn't have believed.

"Please tell me it won't be long." Did her pleading sound unprofessional? Surely he'd understand how uncomfortable it was to be lead around like a child.

"Relax, it's a short trip. Can't tell you how short because I'm fairly sure it's classified." Perhaps he wasn't joking.

The engine thrummed into life and soon they were navigating Gotham's streets.

* * *

When she finally allowed to yank the blindfold off, she was surprised by what she saw. The utilitarian construction and sleek machinery weren't unexpected, but the sheer scale of it was enough to make her pause. The cave reached far beyond a single space, stretching out as far as she could see.

"You're late." The reprimand was sharp, but Robin seemed unfazed.

"It's literally impossible for us to have gone any faster, so I doubt it." Robin beckoned to her, and as they walked forward, the source of the unfamiliar voice came into view. As much as his legacy seemed to be exaggerated and embellished, Batman himself lived up to at least some of the stories. He was far more physically imposing than the lithe Robin and Batgirl; the way he moved suggested years of battle experience that the other two had not quite reached.

"Anitun, Batman." She couldn't help but notice that Batman evidently already knew who she was. _That sounds about right,_ she thought. He looked her over twice, and after a slight nod, turned to Robin, who filled him in on the fight.

"There's been a development," Batman said evenly, after Robin had finished, with no inflection to show whether or not the development was good. "Batgirl's reported two other sightings within a ten mile radius of the original incident. That brings it up to four."

Frowning, Robin moved over to the large computer at the center of the cave. "Batgirl was supposed to meet us here. Where's she gone?"

"She's following a lead." No other information was forthcoming. Frustrated, Anitun asked the obvious question.

"So what am I doing here?"

"You're here to help us." With that, he pressed a button on his belt – _at least they have a consistent theme going on,_ Anitun thought wryly – and a spotlight shone on a hidden surgical table. As she took a closer look, her stomach turned in revulsion.

The person strapped down was still struggling, though they had evidently begun to weaken. Though their movement was forceful and jerky, this wasn't what caught Anitun's eye. Instead, it was their face that had made her step back quickly – the flesh looked like it had been drawn back, making the poor soul look skeletal and inhuman. It was as if the blood had been drained out of their body, leaving a pallid sheen over their skin. Trailing her eyes down the victim's body, she saw that the exposed areas of their body had also turned corpse-like. The most chilling aspect was the absolute quiet – the victim's mouth was open in a silent scream, eyes bulging from the effort of struggling free.

"No way," she murmured, looking over the writhing captive. There had been stories about this, but she'd always dismissed it, thinking that people had gotten it mixed up with vampire lore.

"Batgirl found her on her way back to the cave," Batman said, keeping the same serious, even tone. He didn't say anything more, looking at her intently, as if judging her response. "I've taken a sample to determine a probable cause, but for now, you should talk."

"Do you know anything about this? Can it be reversed?," Robin interjected, obviously as disturbed by the victim as she was.

"There are rumors," she said slowly, keeping her eyes on the table, "That those who marry them often become _aswang_ themselves, but I doubt that this person had the time to do that, or even the means."

"You've never seen this before?" Anitun bristled a little at Batman's question, though it remained impassive; she imagined that there was a dismissal behind it. After all, myths and legends were less reliable than forensic science.

"Not personally, but I'll contact someone who might," she said, careful not to mention who. Her even being there was already toeing the line; the less she said about where she came from, the better.

"And who might that be?" Again, no emotion, nothing to betray his intent.

 _Someone could really learn to hate that tone,_ she thought.

"Like I said, someone that could help." Staring at him dead in the eyes, she knew that the conversation that followed may very well be a battle of wills – something told her that he was less easy to ally with than his protégés. Perhaps she was being insolent, but orders were orders.

After a moment, Anitun saw annoyance cross his face, the first sign of emotion he'd betrayed since the start of the conversation.

"Do you know how this looks? An attack happens. You show up to my city, and suddenly there are three more sightings of something that no one in Gotham's seen before. If you want to stay here you're going to have to tell us exactly who you are and where you came from." As much as she hated the implication behind the statement, she knew he was right. The way things unfolded in the world, blind trust wasn't always the wisest way to go.

"Look, I'll tell you everything that'll help with this case. But I can't say anything else," she said. "I already helped fight off one of them – is that something someone who didn't want to help would do?" Though she was determined to stay resolute, his stare made her sweat.

But at the same time, he was notorious for being secretive for a reason – surely he'd allow other people their own.

"Maybe so, but I still haven't ruled out a bigger conspiracy behind all of this," was his final verdict. Breaking eye contact, he nodded at Robin. An unspoken agreement passed between the two, one that Anitun was sure meant that the two were to watch her closely. Knowing that this would be the most trust that she was to be afforded, she willed herself to relax. Despite their suspicions, they had no actual reason to distrust her – and she was confident that she wouldn't give them any.

"I'll contact them now." Neither of them moved to stop her, so she took that cue to take hold of her necklace. Knowing they would probably stop her, she didn't bother to turn away.

"This is Anitun," she said. "The problem's gotten a lot bigger." Pausing, she debated how to tell the rest, and decided that as always, going head on was probably the best. "The _aswang_ is starting to turn people – I don't know how, but there's already been one victim, and there might be more."

She thought of those poor bodies she found in the aftermath of the escape, and prayed that someone knew the answer. As expected, the deep voice of Apolaki answered her, filling her mind.

"I feared that may be the case."

Her mind raced with possibilities. Had the escape of the _aswang_ been not so unexpected after all? Though Apolaki knew more than almost anyone else on their lore, the complete lack of surprise he showed was telling.

"Has this happened before?" Not in recent memory, that was for sure. But there were a lot that she was unaware of, and many events had been hushed up out of respect for the wishes of those who were involved. As she listened to Apolaki's response, she belatedly understood that some were also hidden out of pride.

* * *

An observer needn't be Cassandra Cain to understand that Anitun was receiving bad news, even though they could only hear her half of the conversation. Despite her obvious frustration, Batman knew that it didn't necessarily mean that it was a dead end; the truth just had a penchant for being uglier than people hoped. Finishing her conversation, Anitun finally looked at them.

"There's someone we need to find."

* * *

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	4. Pulling the String

As Apolaki talked, the sense of dread that had been simmering in the back of her mind came to the forefront.

"Decades ago, we discovered that someone was looking to break the protections we had placed around the ancients. A young man by the name of Andrew Torres became obsessed with the legends of the _aswang,_ convinced that they were all that remained of the greatness of the old world."

A hint of sympathy lay in his voice, a sentiment that Anitun understood; the longing for a history that seemed inaccessible was a feeling she knew all too well.

"We don't know how, but he came closer to the truth than any other outsider has." If Apolaki felt any guilt for the small lie he told his subordinate, he didn't show it; he had promised his secrecy after all. "He almost succeeded in freeing one, but there had been so much grief already – when he chose to run, we decided not to follow. After all, there was no damage he could do then."

Anitun sucked in a breath, willing herself to keep her temper at this late information. "And we weren't told of this because?"

"There was no need to."

 _Sometimes, these authority figures are_ fucking _infuriating,_ Anitun thought, _I could have done with knowing this much earlier. Then I wouldn't have had to stand around convincing the most closed-off man in Gotham to trust me._

Unclenching her teeth, she said, "This might be a leap, but I'm assuming that's why the _aswang_ came to Gotham. To find Andrew Torres."

"Perhaps. I doubt he is responsible, but he's your best chance at finding out how and why it's been let loose."

"How can you be so sure that it wasn't him?" In her mind, it made the most sense. A man from thirty years ago had almost succeeded in an incredibly difficult task; and now he had time to overcome the remaining difficulties.

The answer was almost undeservedly sure, considering their circumstances. "It's far beyond his capabilities, and goes against all motive."

"Am I supposed to do this alone? Can no one else help?" She didn't have time to grill him on the details, and so decided that sticking to the practical elements was best; besides, when she got home, she would ask Anagolay. She'd always been honest with her.

A pause followed her question.

"The other seals have been broken."

Before he could say anything more, Anitun interrupted him, worried.

"Did Dumakulem...," she trailed off, seized with fear that he had been caught by another _aswang_ looking to make for its freedom _._

"He's safe. He alerted us all as soon as he found the next site compromised. Right now, we need to focus on keeping them all restrained until we can reestablish the protections. It could take a very long time. There's little room left even for this conversation, Anitun. I'm sorry." The apology rang sincere, though Anitun was still deflated by the prospect of facing this threat almost alone. Though Gotham's heroes were competent, she would have preferred her own teammates.

Ending the communication, she looked at her expectant audience.

"There's someone we need to find."

* * *

She wouldn't tell them everything, but the parts she did say were promising. It was the work of a moment for Robin to search for Andrew Torres – who didn't have the foresight to change his name – and locate his latest address. Walking over to the computer screen, Anitun looked over his shoulder as he went through multiple

"It checks out," he said, eyes fixed on the screen. "Tax records place him in Gotham for the past thirty years. Currently in the country, has a grown son, squeaky clean. What exactly did this guy do?"

Before Anitun could think of an answer that served the both of them, Batman came up behind them.

"The results are inconclusive," he said, "But there are striking similarities to Langstrom's work. Maybe it isn't magic after all."

"You can't know that it isn't magic," she said testily. Though she had no idea who this Langstrom was or what he could do, she knew the _aswang_ well enough to recognize its shadow anywhere.

"I like to keep my options open. Besides, it's probable that this case isn't Langstrom." When he offered no other explanation, Robin helpfully explained it further.

"He's in Arkham right now. Kinda hard to infect people when you're currently in jail. Much more likely that someone else is using his research."

"Like I said, options open." Turning his head slightly, he pressed a button on the keyboard. "Batgirl. Any leads?"

"I've identified the woman I found; Nicole Santos, a teacher, only ever gotten parking tickets, no links to any of the usual suspects. I've got a list of her regular contacts, and she seemed pretty clean. But get this, when I looked at her online habits, she'd been talking to a guy calling himself Alonso, which is definitely a pseudonym. And they were _definitely_ speaking in code. I'm two minutes away from the cave now." She sounded proud – she hadn't gotten her reputation for nothing.

What she said was enough for Batman to respond with a clipped, "Good. Send us all the relevant messages, and we can start on deciphering it. Rendezvous with us as soon as possible; we've got new info."

She responded with an affirmative, and signed off.

"Wouldn't it be great if Alonso and Andrew Torres were the same guy," Robin said, slightly amused. "Makes our job easier."

He was gratified by the small smile Anitun gave him; Batman, as usual, barely responded.

"Though even when we find him, that doesn't mean that Torres is our guy," he continued, musing out loud. "Only way to find out is to pay him a visit."

Casting a sideways glance at Batman to see how he reacted to this, Anitun saw him walk towards Nicole Santos.

"What'll happen to her?"

Batman looked grim, pulling out a syringe. "I'll sedate her; that's the most that can be done at the moment. If it really is magic, there's not much I can do to reverse this. It's best if she doesn't struggle too much while we pay Torres a visit."

"What if she escapes?" Though she still seemed human, there was no telling what properties of the _aswang_ she had already absorbed.

"These constraints were made to hold much stronger people," was the reply.

Privately, Anitun thought that they put too much faith in their tools. After all, tonight had already proved that not all jails were infallible. But it wasn't her place to question, so she remained silent as he administered the sedative, turning away as he did so. She wasn't ordinarily queasy, but the thought of the woman morphing into something so deranged was enough to make anyone sick. Thankfully, she reacted to the sedative quickly, and soon it was almost as if she was just asleep.

"Please tell me this is good info," called an exasperated voice behind them. "I like it better when we know exactly who to scare into giving us the answers." Batgirl had arrived, long red hair soaking wet from the rain. She didn't betray a hint of tiredness, though Anitun supposed she'd been dashing from place to place since she'd left them.

"Don't get too comfortable. We're heading out right now; I'll fill you in on the details en route."

* * *

Anitun found herself in the Batmobile's front seat as his partners flanked them on their bikes, a not-so-subtle reminder of her precarious position in the eyes of its owner; she seethed silently as Batman caught Batgirl up.

"I've got a question," Robin said, once he had finished, voice sounding slightly distorted through the speaker. Even though Batman had already proved to have excellent control, Anitun thought she could detect the slightest sigh. "You said that the one from the rooftop wasn't the one that you were looking for. How did you know? You didn't see the one we fought earlier, and you didn't know there was more than one at that point."

The most accurate explanation was also far too long for the time they had, so Anitun tried to be concise. "Because it died."

"Perfect. So the one we're looking for now, the one that's probably at least partly responsible for that woman back there, it's immortal?" She wondered what he'd seen and done that he treated it as a minor annoyance.

"At least it's not hunting." As sarcastic as it sounded, she was genuinely glad.

"How do you know that?"

"You'd know if it was."

"What's so special about this one then? Is it any more powerful than the other ones?"

"It's incredibly powerful, but it's not unique." She didn't want to admit to their failure, so kept quiet on the real problem – the mass unleashing of the rest of its ilk on the islands – though she felt a twinge of guilt; hadn't she promised to be honest with them? _That part isn't relevant,_ she rationalized, _so they don't need to know._ "It's got the same weaknesses; but it won't die."

"The lower body," he said, remembering what had happened on the rooftop.

"The lower body," she echoed, nodding. "Salt is best. It means it won't be able to reform, which is a huge help to us."

As Robin lapsed into silence, trying to parse the information that they had gathered into a workable plan, Batman turned his attention to the girl next to him.

"You're a magic user." It wasn't a question.

She wanted to laugh at the way he said it, as if it was a revelation that she had ties to magic after speaking into a glowing golden necklace.

"Kind of," was her response, childishly hoping that it would annoy him. Batman seemed like the type of person who wanted to deal with absolutes, and the true situation was anything but; besides, she wasn't about to give them a straight answer. They were too clever to risk that.

Refusing to take her bait, he pressed on. "The _aswang,_ it's magic too."

It was a statement as well, but slightly unsure. She decided to help him out.

"Yeah. Doesn't mean it uses spells or rituals or anything though. It relies pretty much on brute strength." She didn't get an answer, but she wasn't expecting one.

 _We've got a name_ , _but there's still the_ how _and_ why. _No mortal should've been able to get past us, so who is Andrew Torres really? And who is this Langstrom they're talking about?_

Unfortunately for Anitun, the driver wasn't much of a conversationalist, and soon she turned to her own thoughts; she knew obsessing over the lack of information she had was useless until they discovered more. As she forbade herself from worrying about the rest of her brethren – they were a formidable group, she knew that – her mind went down a road that it often went down in these kinds of situations.

 _This is so messed up._

What were other people her age doing? Attending university, maybe. Avoiding making life plans, probably. Not trying to actively come into contact with an ageless being thirsting for blood, definitely.

 _I would have been a solidly average student,_ she mused, _and probably bored a lot of the time. But it's much better than this. Halfway across the world, getting roped into the sheer insanity of whatever the hell their routine is._

Too intimidated to look to the silent man next to her, she stared out of her window, and watched Robin, flanking them on his motorcycle. He was certainly around the same age, or maybe older. Batgirl seemed quite young as well – no older than her mid-twenties. How the hell did people like them get caught up in this whole business? At least for her, she could shrug and say that she just got caught up in the machinery of higher powers. She doubted many people accidentally became crime-fighting vigilantes.

Her speculations were sadly cut off before she could let her imagination run wild. They had arrived in front of their destination, a nondescript house in the suburbs surrounding Gotham.

"So, are we gonna knock or…?"

"Stay in the car," he said, already halfway out. "Don't move until I signal you."

Robin and Batgirl moved to cover what she assumed were the front and back entrances, settling into positions they had probably done thousands of times before. Batman, in turn, let himself in through one of the second floor windows.

 _Jumping in against orders only works about 10% of the time,_ Anitun reminded herself, _and he'll probably kick your ass if you mess things up._

So even when she heard a muffled yelp and the telltale sound of broken glass, she remained glued to her seat. Following the letter of the law, however, didn't mean she had to feel pleased about it; and if the storm got worse the longer she stewed, it wasn't like any of the others would notice.

When Batman's voice came through the speaker to tell her it was over, she almost flew through the front door and found herself in a tidy living room, decorated with picture frames and other trinkets. A perfectly typical suburban home, she thought to herself. The only thing out of place was a broken glass, its contents seeping out onto the rug below it.

The three of them did quick work, that much was clear, as the few short minutes they had was enough for them to back their target into a chair.

"How dare you," the man who she assumed was Andrew Torres snarled, "Barging into my house in the middle of the night, thinking you have the right, just because you're - "

As his eyes fell on Anitun, his rambling stopped in surprise.

"You…," he said, a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. "That mask…that necklace."

"You recognize me?"

"In a way. You're one of them. It's been years since I've met anyone like you…which _diwata_ are you?"

* * *

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